So who am I? I’m a Sports and Deep Tissue Massage Practitioner. I haven’t always been a Sports Massage Practitioner though, for over 15 years I was an Executive/Personal Assistant to CEOs and Directors in both the private or charity sectors.
I never truly enjoyed my jobs and always thought that I wanted to do something else. Something completely different but that would mean retraining and I didn’t have the courage.
Being Brave
In 2017, I took the plunge and re-trained, I knew nothing about anatomy and physiology so had to start from scratch. I thought my brain was going to melt and dribble out of my ear, but I did it! I learnt all the things I needed to know, did all the coursework, completed 100 hours of free massage, took all the exams and passed the course. It was a massive achievement and I felt like the world was my oyster.
Being self-employed is scary but exciting! I am my own boss and set my own hours. Who I work with is my choice and I make sure I have fun along the way. I am dedicated to my clients and put their needs first whenever possible. My self-care is a priority for me though. If I’m not looking after myself then I can’t look after my clients.
I love the freedom of being able to choose how I spend my day. If I want to do some business planning in a local tea room then that’s what I do. Or I’ll spend time in my office at home with my dog, Winston, by my feet. Every day can be different but it’s always how I want it to be.
A Happy Dog
I finally have the work-life balance I’ve dreamt about and Winston is very happy too. He’s 10 years old now and I hated leaving him every day to spend it stuck in an office doing a job that didn’t challenge or excite me.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all rosy! It’s frightening as hell and sometimes self-doubt kicks my a** but I have an incredible group of people around me who love me, believe in me and push me. They are full of hugs and tough love (plus tea and cake – I love cake!).
If there’s something that you want to do in life then take a deep breath and start. As Martin Luther King Jnr said “you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”.
Take the leap of faith and trust that you’ll make it work. You have everything you’ll ever need to smash your goals, you’ve just got to believe you can!
(Featured image by Emily Morter on Unsplash)
